Invented the Wheel is a communal family band formed roughly mid to late April 2011. They began as mere hunters and gatherers and have recently been able to adapt and evolve to a slightly more agricultural band that will remain semi nomadic for the meantime. Their goal is to evolve their mindset to eventually be able to 'invent the wheel' in a sense of evolving to a higher sophistication and adopt a greater community feel with increasing specialization to enable growth and expansion.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Spread of Agriculture from our Elders

Invented the wheel has evolved from hunting and gathering to agriculture having found a spot of land and already planted flowers. The elders of the tribe have now spread their knowledge to the rest of the band. Invented the wheel learned a useful technique of creating our own system to grow herbs and plants. The system grows plants with their roots in nutrient filled water. The system flows water from a tank full of fish, providing the nutrients from their fertilizer, to another area where the plants are held. The plants get the vital nutrients they need and have proven to grow faster than in soil alone. The system if genius and vital to the survival of Invented the wheel. The new information was learned and applied in their field, but more importantly this information has been passed down to the next generation orally, otherwise it may have been lost forever hidden in the memories of the lost elders.

Last week we saw how the staff at the cafeteria at BYUH was making a difference in saving money in an environmentally friendly way. After showing us the aquaponics system they had set up, they showed us how they grew their vegetables. They used soil that they had made themselves. Surprisingly they only utilized worms in this process. They used things like leaves and unused vegetables and put them with the worms. The worms would digest them and excrete the good soil. By using this method, the school saves money and is a more economical way of growing food.

Our elders pointed to us that BYU-H is trying its best to contribute to the community. By making our own compost and using the left overs in the cafeteria to enhance the process of making the fertilizer, the people at the food services department is producing most of the spices and herbs they use for cooking. Other than that, they implemented energy saving methods, such as turning the lights off when not needed, that helped them save about 60,000 dollars in electric bill. With this they were able to use extra funds to send students to workshops and field trips that will help them in their future career. The elders advised us that we could use all the things we've learned back to our home town and contribute to the community by helping it to be more self-sufficient.